-Chapter Eight-
"Eyes in the Back of My Head"
Working at Mercury Labs was never a lifelong goal for Gavin Turner but he wouldn't leave his position as a physiologist whether the laboratory had gained a giant lead in the technological and scientific race against STAR Labs or not. After the accident, working at Mercury Labs, or even being hired as a new recruit was something that could make headlines in a local paper.
And if there was one goal at Mercury Labs, it was to make headlines. With STAR Labs out of the way, there was nothing to stop them from being the laboratory to keep an eye on. A curse and a blessing as Gavin, and any other employee, were quick to find out. Security had been tightened; computers could be monitored if there was any inkling of suspicious activity, and all for good reason.
Gavin blinked as his internet browser was suddenly minimized, the Mercury Labs logo on his desktop staring him back in the face. A chat window popped up, a giant, bold, number 10 appearing with a small chime. He sucked in a breath of air before swiveling his head to the left and right, checking the halls that surrounded his office. Clearing his throat, he placed his hands on his keyboard and quickly sent back a series of question marks.
He barely lifted his fingers from his keyboard when a response came. The Cube. 5 minutes.
Gavin closed out the window and shut off the monitor to his computer. He left his office and stepped out into the hall, adjusting his shirt collar, loosening a button. He lifted his hand in a wave to the woman in the office across the way before making his way down the hall, past the break room as a swell of laughter rolled out the door, and stopped at the water cooler, checking his watch.
Three minutes left.
Letting out a loud cough, clearing his throat, he reached for the stack of cups on top of the water container, and filled it before leaning up against the wall, taking a long sip. The sound of heels clacking on the tiled floor caught his attention and he straightened, giving Dr. McGee a smile.
"Morning doctor," he said, reaching for a cup, lifting an eyebrow in question.
"Oh, yes, please," Dr. McGee replied, adjusting her grip of her briefcase as she switched it from one hand to the other. "I've been up and down these halls today, meeting after meeting. Haven't had any time to take a breath."
"Please do," he said as he handed her the water.
"Thank you very much," Dr. McGee said as she took the plastic cup from him. She quickly drank the water before letting out a sigh, crushing the cup in her hand.
"Not to bog you down any more with the idea of another meeting," Gavin said, swirling his left over water around in his cup. Some of it sloshed over the side the droplets hitting the floor with a splat. "I can still meet with you today to discuss the virtual lab prototype."
Dr. McGee smiled. "Yes, I reckon you're excited to see that project lift off," she commented,
Gavin gave a half smile. "Well, I can only experiment on humans for so long," he replied. "Knowing they're willingly taking part in experiments, hoping we find a cure…a-a resolution for whatever it is they're suffering through." He sucked in a deep breath of air before letting it out through his nose, taking a sip of water. He swished the liquid around his mouth before he swallowed, smacking his lips. "And it doesn't always wind up that way."
Dr. McGee sighed, her shoulders dropping just slightly. She tossed her crushed cup into the trashcan before lifting her free hand to brush her hand over her short blond hair. "I understand that what we do here is hard, and maybe you do some of the hardest work—getting attached to those who…well, to put it simply, those who know they won't make it." She blinked, pressing her lips together for a moment. "However, you know as well as I do that they're choosing to help us greatly improve our studies to help others with the same conditions."
"Mmmhmm." Gavin slowly nodded his head. He held back a snort. Not that attached, doctor.
"Mr. Turner, you're one of our hardest workers here," Dr. McGee stated, taking a step closer towards him. "You go above and beyond what is asked of you, if you ever need a break…some time off to clear your mind, get in the right headspace."
"I appreciate it, Dr. McGee, but I love my work too much to leave even for a minute," Gavin replied. He quickly finished his water before tossing the empty cup into the trash can. "We're on the cusp of creating something…impossible." He gave a small nod of his head, muttered an, "excuse me," and continued his path down the hall.
Slowing his pace, he came up to a conference room door. He glanced over his shoulder, twisting his mouth to the side as he watched Dr. McGee disappear around the corner. Hey rapped his knuckles on the wooden door before twisting the handle, allowing himself inside the room.
"Got stopped by Dr. McGee, so I don't need any comments about being late," he said to Brent and Casey as soon as he was inside the room. "And I thought I said that if we're going to be doing any communicating it was to be through texts." He nodded towards the box sitting on the table. "What's that?"
"Arrived from Belle Reve just this morning," Brent explained from where he sat along the dark table. He slowly twisted back and forth in his swivel chair.
"We were waiting for you before we open it," Casey said, tapping her fingernails on the table from where she stood at the head. Her eyes narrowed just slightly as she gazed over at Gavin. "And I knew you were at your desk, so what difference does it make?"
"Anybody could've seen," Gavin muttered. He clasped his hands behind his neck. "You also knew I had my other phone on me." He gave a wry smile, dropping his arms down to his sides. "Whatever. We're here now, so let's get this over with. I have to make sure you got the right things anyway."
He stepped around the table and reached for the box. Casey slapped her hand down on top, a loud pop splitting the air. Brent stopped twisting, looking back and forth between the two of them, otherwise staying silent.
"Why?" Casey asked, her eyes cutting towards Gavin. "You don't think I can handle a small job like this?" Gavin's lips twitched. "Because I'm the only girl that's gotten as high up as an eight? Because I'm the only girl left in Central City's division?"
Brent quickly moved towards the door. He stuck his head out, looking up and down the hall before closing the door. "First off," he said in a tight voice, "we don't need everyone in the office listening in, so I ask you to lower your voice. Secondly, you're not the only girl left; there's still Queen. And thirdly, what's gotten into you?"
"Yes, what's up with that outburst." Gavin slowly lifted an eyebrow, his lips twitching at Casey's outburst. He crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a sigh through his nose. "Something you want to share with the class?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.
Casey slowly removed her hand from the box. "Averey's starting to ask about all the mail we've been getting," Casey said as she adjusted her button-up shirt before sliding the palms of her hands down her skirt. She tapped her foot, the carpet dulling the sound.
"She's never asked before," Brent said, shaking his head from side to side.
"That's because she's never remembered enough to ask," Gavin explained, tapping his chin with his index finger. "Literally." A hum rumbled in his throat. "It wore off faster than I'm sure even Dr. Hale thought it would."
"Come on, Gav, you can't have someone walking around on autopilot for a year," Brent commented as he adjusted the rolled up cuffs of his shirt. "We've just been slipping up, easy as that."
"With how little sleep you've been getting, I'm not too surprised," Gavin muttered. Casey snorted and Brent's eyes narrowed. Gavin put his hands up defensively. "I'm just saying. I made stupid mistakes on lack of sleep, too. We just have to make sure there aren't as many. God knows Averey will remember them to throw back in our faces sooner or later."
"Yeah, or you," Casey shot back. "We've been doing fine; we don't need you to double check what we're doing, too."
"We've already got Dr. Caselli breathing down our backs, anyhow," Brent quietly added, turning his head to the side.
"You both have been a part of the Royal Flush Gang long enough to know the pecking order," Gavin said, slowly blinking. He lifted his hand and started to count off on his fingers. "King, Queen, Jack—" he then jabbed himself in the chest, and then over at Brent, and stopping on Casey, "Ten, Nine, Eight. As long as Ace, King, Queen, and Jack are gone, as you very well know they are, I'm next in line and I'm not going to have this screwed up under my watch."
I can't. We've done so much already. He started to pace back and forth. We've been working too hard on this. The small squeaking of his shoes and the swishing of his pants as he took long strides cut through the silence that filled the room. "Open the box," he said, snapping his fingers. He turned around to face Casey who regarded him coolly. Gavin let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. "Case, please? I'm sorry I snapped at you."
"Yeah, me too," Casey replied. "I think I'm just stressed. I've been short tempered all morning."
"If you two have patched things up, could you open this anytime soon?" Brent asked, putting his hands up in the air. He looked back and forth between his roommates, checking that they weren't going to start fighting each other. "If I don't get my work done today, there's no way I'll have any free time tomorrow to show Averey around."
"Is she planning on coming?" Gavin asked, taking a step closer towards the head of the table. Brent joined Casey on the other side. "For sure?"
"She says she is," Casey replied with a shrug. "You know how she is when she sets her mind on something." Her lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "We could really use someone like that on our team." Her eyes then widened in feigned innocence. "Oh, but wait, we already have Gavin."
"We don't have anyone as dedicated to one job as Averey," Gavin said after giving Casey a look of annoyance. "She's spent her most of her life looking for her dad, and like you said, once she puts her mind to something…"
Brent reached into his pants pocket and retrieved a pocket knife. He unfolded the blade and stuck it into the tape on the box, quickly cutting through the tape. He dropped his knife onto the table with a clatter and pulled the flaps open. "Pottery?" he asked, reaching into the box, taking out a mug wrapped n bubble wrap.
"No wonder it was heavy," Casey commented, helping him empty the box. "But, it's not the only thing in here." She picked up another mug and unwrapped the bubble wrap before tilting the mug towards her palm. Gavin watched as a medical vial fell out into her hand. "Want her to run on auto pilot again, we've got what we need."
"And then some." Brent dumped the contents of another mug into his hand. A mass of colorful wires sticking out of a black cube bounced into his palm. "This is for the scanner, right?" Casey nodded. "Nice."
"Perfect," Gavin said as he reached into the bottom of the box, pulling out a manila folder. He flipped open the front and paper clipped to the inside cover was a large image of Averey Moore. "Belle Reve Sanitarium Patient Profile," he read aloud. "Averey Moore; patient 97326. Patient demonstrates oculus capabilities that are beyond the capabilities of the average human. Testing has been conducted at Belle Reve—" Brent let out a snort, "—with results being obtained weekly. Further testing has been recommended."
"And they'll be getting their results soon enough," Casey commented, lifting a second medical vial, holding it between her forefinger and thumb.
"Patient has passed preliminary vision exams, cognitive exams, psychomotor exams, blah, blah, blah," Gavin continued to read aloud. "Patient is efficient in and kick boxing."
Brent let out a laugh of disbelief. "How can someone as…selectively clumsy as her be good at kick boxing?" he asked, shaking his head. "Doesn't it promote balance or some crap like that?"
Gavin stared at him. "That's the only thing you picked out of that?" Brent slowly shrugged. "As long as she can use that balance mentally, who cares?" Gavin asked. "Alright, let's wrap this up and get back to work. I'll let King know of the information we've got." He looked over at Casey lifting his hand, curling his fingers to form a fist. "Great work, Case. I mean it."
Casey's eyes darted over towards him, silently regarding him. The red blaze in her eyes slowly distinguished and she smiled. Lifting her hands to brush her hair behind her ears before bumping Gavin's fist with her own. "Thanks," she said with a smile. She then nodded her head in Brent's direction. "You're up next, B."
"Just give me the word and I'll get started," Brent replied.
"Hide this in your office until we get home," Gavin ordered, "finish work as you usually would. We can look over everything and discuss the next step as soon as I get word back from King." He lifted a finger in the air, lowering his voice as Brent and Casey started packing things up. "Until then, act natural. Finish your daily tasks, Brent continue working on your project, continue meeting with Dr. McGee, nothing out of the ordinary. Got it?"
Harrison removed his glasses from his nose, using the heel of his palm to rub at his tired, burning eyes. He let out a sigh, resting his chin in his palm, staring at the graphs, figures, and numbers splashed all over the monitor in front of him. Papers were spread out over the table, crunching and folding together as he moved to try and get himself more comfortable.
He knew he never would be. Not in this world. Or rather this version of it.
"Thank you, Caitlin," Harrison said as he leaned back in his chair. He opened his eyes, craning his neck upwards to give Caitlin a small smile of gratitude as she set a steaming mug of coffee down onto the table by his arm.
"How'd you know it was me?" Caitlin asked.
"Well, you could say I have eyes in the back of my head," Harrison replied, tilting his head just slightly. "I heard your shoes on the floor."
"I didn't mean to interrupt you, Dr. Wells," Caitlin said, clasping her hands together in front of her. "I'll just get going."
"An interruption from you is a great reprieve," Dr. Wells commented, putting his glasses back on. "I must say." He reached for the steaming mug and took a long sip. "Day after day you get it just right. Thank you."
"You're welcome. It's just…you've been secluding yourself in here for a long while," Caitlin explained, "Cisco and I were starting to get worried." She gave him a smile, parting her red lips into a smile. "Thought you needed a little pick me up."
"You know, I don't know if it's due to your background in bioengineering," Harrison said as he maneuvered his chair around so he could face her. "Or maybe it's just a nurturing side of you, but you always seem to know the wants and needs of everyone here."
"Well, I've been working here for a while now," Caitlin said as she reached out for the arm rest of the chair sitting next to him. She lowered herself down onto the cushion and crossed one leg over the other. "I like to think I know my friends and co-workers well enough by now. Favorite drinks, favorite snacks." She shrugged her shoulders. "Brings some comfort here I suppose."
"It's funny," Harrison commented, his eyebrows twitching. "You can know someone to a T, their faults, and hopes, and dreams. But, there are still things about them that you don't know." He watched as a look of confusion, or worry, crossed her face. "It's just an observation."
"Kind of a depressing one," Caitlin commented.
Harrison took another sip of coffee. "But the truth nonetheless," he said with a small sigh. "I mean no one ever thought the great Harrison Wells could destroy so many lives in a single moment." He let out a bitter laugh. "And there's not a day that goes by where I wonder where we'd be if the accident hadn't occurred. You'd be married."
Caitlin's lips twitched, a cloud of sadness shrouding the light in her eyes. She sucked in a breath of air before letting it out through her nose. A part of him felt bad for bringing up her deceased fiancée but at the same time, it would help her to talk about Ronnie more. This was like a whole new Caitlin. He had seen her happy, in love, and now, because of him, she had to try and learn who Caitlin was all over again.
He could sympathize. After Tess's death… Harrison gave a brief shake of his head. He tried not to let himself think about her. Not when there was work that needed to be done. Barry wouldn't get up to the speed he needed to be at. Averey…well, he wouldn't figure out the extent of her visionary gifts if he didn't concentrate on the task at hand. He wouldn't be able to use either of them for his advantage.
"I apologize."
"Dr. Wells, you can't blame yourself for that," Caitlin said, reaching a hand forward, placing it on his forearm. Harrison's eyes flickered towards her hand before looking back up at her. Caitlin quickly pulled her hand back, the warmth spreading across his skin. Lingering. Clearing her throat, she brushed her hair back behind her ears. "Cisco and I don't blame you for what happened, you know."
"I know," Harrison replied, nodding his head. "And I appreciate that. I appreciate the both of you for sticking around." He tapped his fingernails against the mug. "Things would've been pretty bleak without the two of you here. Certainly wouldn't be making this much progress with Barry if you weren't."
"Of course," Caitlin replied, giving him a half smile. "Cisco and I enjoy working here. You've done so much for us."
"No." Harrison shook his head. "It's the reverse, actually." His lips lifted at the corners into a half smile. "You all have done so much for me." He settled back against the cushion of his chair, wrapping his hands around the mug, trying to internalize its heat as it slowly cooled off. "For that I am forever grateful. If I could help Barry, or even Averey, understand their abilities, the abilities I caused for them to have, then I've given back just a little. I've done what I set out to do and used my talents to help others."
"Plus, Cisco is really getting a run for his money what with all the, 'toys' as he eloquently puts it, he needs to make," Caitlin added. She grasped the arm rests of her chair and got to her feet. "Again, I apologize for interrupting you. I'm going to get back before Cisco starts another fire trying to make a fire resistant…anything."
Harrison let out a chuckle. "I appreciate you sitting with me, Caitlin," Harrison commented. "As I said before, it was a nice break from...all of this." He waved a hand in the air before giving her a warm smile. "Thank you. Call me, please, when Barry arrives."
"There was a robbery at a bank this morning so he might be a while," Caitlin explained. Her shoulders slumped just slightly. "It was my bank, too. So, I'll be spending my day making phone calls and being placed on hold." Her nose wrinkled slightly. "I'd appreciate any and all interruptions."
"I'll keep that in mind," Harrison replied. He set his coffee mug down onto the table just as a loud siren hit the air. He lifted his gaze to the giant flat screen mounted on the upper wall, facing him. The screen flickered and an image of Averey popped up on screen. She paced back and forth from one side of the building's elevator to the other, chewing on her thumbnail.
"It's Averey." Cisco's voice crackled over the intercom. "She said she needed to talk to you, Dr. Wells."
Harrison curled his fingers into a fist, running his thumb over his fingers. He leaned over in his chair, positioning his mouth over the small, round microphone. He switched on the receiver. "Let her in, I'll be there in a minute." He then settled back in his seat. "Caitlin, please go and make sure that the Flash suit is behind closed doors. Go. Now."
"Right away," Caitlin said before hurrying off, her heels loudly clacking on the flooring as she did so.
Once the sound of hurried footsteps died away, Harrison maneuvered his chair back from the table. He pressed his elbows onto the arm rests and laced his fingers together. "Welcome back, Averey Moore," he said quietly before heading towards the exit of the room. "Let's get started, shall we?" As Harrison wheeled himself into the Cortex, he came to a sudden stop as Averey marched towards him. "Yes?"
"What kind of tests did you give me?"Averey asked. Harrison silently regarded her. Chewing on her nails, pacing, repeatedly grasping at her head.
"Before I answer that question, I implore you to calm down," he said slowly.
"I already explained to her that we've just taken initial tests at any other optometrist or ophthalmologist," Cisco quickly explained, turning away from Averey. "Dilation, eye health, measurements. She says that she's been…seeing things that aren't there."
"I'm not saying it, I'm seeing it," Averey replied.
"That's yet to be seen," Harrison commented. He looked around the wide room, eyes landing on the Flash suit. He set his jaw, anger in his chest. "Where's Caitlin?" He tried to keep his voice level, calm.
"Went to go get Averey's information," Cisco replied, grasping onto Averey's arms at her next lap of pacing. "Hey, calm down, ok?" Averey set her wide-eyed, unfocused, gaze on him. "Deep breaths in and out. I promise you, that anything we did here was safe. Ok?"
"Yes, I can attest to that," Harrison replied, rolling himself forward just slightly. "We wouldn't have done anything if it would risk your well being." He paused for a moment, getting the irony; reassuring someone of not risking their well being when the particle accelerator had done just that. "You're safe here."
"Ok," Averey said, repeatedly nodding her head. "Ok, ok." She let out a deep breath of air. "I believe you."
"Nevertheless," Cisco said with a smile, taking a step back from her. "I'm glad you came back." Harrison lifted a closed fist, pressing his mouth against the back of his hand to hide his smile. The younger man was well versed in the world of science; that was for sure. Cisco then quickly moved over to the computers. "Uh, I mean, it's good you came back with this problem. Well, it's not good that you have a problem—I'm sure we can help."
"I'm positive we can," Caitlin said, hurrying back into the room, a clipboard clutched tightly in her hand. "Look; normal eye muscle movement, papillary reactions are good." She placed a hand on Averey's shoulder, handing her the test results. "See? You don't have glaucoma, your retinas are fine."
"And…and these were the same kinds of tests you gave to Barry?" Averey asked, looking over the papers in front of her. She looked up when she got no response. Caitlin and Cisco were giving him frozen looks, silently begging for help.
"Kind of," Dr. Wells slowly replied, stretching the syllables. "We're running different kind of tests on him. But, he is a Metahuman, yes."
"He's kind of…" Cisco let his sentence hang when Caitlin gave him a look of alarm. "Erm."
Harrison watched as Averey's eyes darted from person to person before focusing on a spot over Cisco's shoulder. "Holy," she whispered, feeling his jaw drop. Harrison squinted, leaning forward in his seat slightly as he watched Averey's pupils slowly widen. They stretched until they nearly covered her irises in its entirety.
"Man that is so freaky," Cisco said with a smile that was half awe and half excitement. "But, also, really cool."
"Oh my god," Caitlin whispered, lifting a hand to cover her mouth. She turned back towards him. "I'm sorry, Dr. Wells, she just came in so quickly and—"
Averey let out a loud gasp, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them, her pupils had shrunk, but still not back to their original size. "He's…he's…"
"I just got back from the bank." Harrison closed his eyes as he felt the familiar rush of wind shoot past him. Papers rustled to the floor. "So much money was stolen, but what was so weird was that everyone was saying—"
Harrison opened his eyes and watched Averey regard Barry. Her lips trembled slightly. "You're the Flash," she said, lifting a shaking finger over at Barry.
Barry stood frozen, eyes wide with panic. "Uhh, n-no," Barry said, shaking his head. "I'm—"
"Dude," Cisco said, lifting an eyebrow. "She doesn't forget things she sees. I mean, come on." Barry's lips parted as he lifted his hands, threading his fingers together before sliding them down the back of his head.
"How did I not see the suit before?" Averey asked. Caitlin slowly stepped forward and carefully took the clipboard back from her, putting a hand on the Australian's shoulder.
"We had hidden it," Harrison explained. "We've had a previous situation that have hindered our trust in who we reveal Barry's identity to."
Averey looked back and forth between the suit and Barry. "But…but that's impossible," Averey took a couple steps closer towards Barry. "I was here before and you never bloody said anything."
"I can assure you that Barry is indeed the Flash," Harrison insisted before Barry could say anything. "But, the more pressing matter at this moment is, what you've been seeing."
"Him," Averey replied, pointing at Barry. "But, there's no way."
"Averey, Barry is the Flash," Caitlin said gently. "He was affected the night of the particle accelerator accident, too. He gained his super speed after being hit by lightning."
"And he was in a coma for 10 months, I know," Averey replied. "That's not what I mean, mate. I mean, how can Barry be the Flash…when I saw the Flash in my flat 18 years ago?" Cisco lifted an eyebrow before turning to face Barry. Caitlin hugged the clipboard to her chest.
Barry's eyes widened, startled. "What?" He asked, his voice cracking. He shook his head back and forth. "Did you just say—I wasn't…how could I be?"
Harrison hummed before spinning his wheelchair around to face the speedster. Now we're getting somewhere, Miss Moore. He pressed his lips together, watching the scene unfold before him. "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand," Harrison said quietly.
"The Flash was in my room when I was a kid," Averey replied. She started to pace again taking slow steps. "I remember waking up and seeing red lightning. Normally, our neighbors often had late night bonfires, so I thought I was just seeing that." She lifted her thumbnail to her mouth, a crunching sound hitting the air as she chewed on it again. "I knew it was different, though. And then he was standing in the corner of my room. I saw a shape in that red lightning, I could see right through him. I've never forgotten it."
"And you saw that today?" Caitlin asked. Averey nodded.
"Are you sure?" Cisco pressed.
"Yes, at work," Averey replied. "At Jitters."
"I haven't been at Jitters at all today," Barry protested. "I got up late, as usual, and then had to go into work about the bank robbery. I debriefed at the station and then came here." Barry dropped his arms down by his sides. "You're sure you saw this suit in Jitters today?"
"Yes." Averey swallowed. "Look, while living in Central City after a couple months I had learned of Iris's blog and everything she knew about the Flash. And I finally thought I could get answers on what I saw that night. You two seemed close when I met you at Jitters so I thought you'd know something about him, too."
"The night that Farooq bloke came, I came here to STAR Labs to ask more about the night of the accident because I wanted to know if you could help me understand the accident. I can only read and understand so much from the reports and news articles and everything. I recognized Farooq from Jitters."
"Averey, Iris doesn't know that I'm the Flash," Barry said, his voice suddenly gravelly. He took a step towards Averey. "And you have to promise me that you won't tell her. I know you're working with her now, and I know you want answers, but its better…it's safer that she doesn't know."
"That's why we didn't tell you, either," Harrison added. "For you and for us. There are many metahumans out there, some that want revenge on me for what I've done." He licked his lips and clenched his teeth before giving Averey a half smile. "You're the first that just wants questions answered. Thank you for that."
"Sure, I guess." Averey gave a slight nod of her head. She then started rubbing her hands together. "So, what do you think I've been seeing? You think it's part of these abilities I got? Seeing things that aren't there?"
"It's possible," Harrison muttered. "Have you heard of PTSD? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?'
"Oh yeah, beware of those coffee creamers," Cisco said, his words dripping with sarcasm. "They can really put you in harm's way."
"Well, they are high in fat," Caitlin commented. "Averey, was there any chance today you felt stressed out?"
A thoughtful look crossed Averey's face. "I thought I was going to be late for work today," she responded.
"Hmm, where have I heard that before?" Caitlin asked, giving Barry a pointed look.
"Back to the topic at hand, please," Harrison said, increasing the volume of his voice just slightly. "Was there anything out of the ordinary that happened today?"
"Umm, I went to the post office with Casey, my roommate," Averey said, tapping her chin. "It was on my way to work so I went with her. There was this guy who was in a hurry, he knocked us over on his way to wherever he was going. I remember because he didn't seem to be that sorry that he did it. He had these dark sunglasses, and his hair was swept off to the side." She ran her hand over her head, moving her hair to the side she described. "And he was carrying this side bag, like a satchel or something."
"Anything else?" Harrison asked.
"There was this…purple light," Averey answered. She frowned. "That's really it. I went to work and then…"
"Wait, a purple light?" Barry asked. "Not red?" Averey shook her head. Barry crossed his arms over his chest before lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Mr. Allen?" Harrison prompted. Barry let out a breath of air, giving a small laugh of disbelief.
"I think you got whammied," Barry announced.
A/N: Thanks for checking out my story. I'm glad everyone's liking the inclusion of Belle Reve.
babyj: Thank you for the suggestion of having a scene from the point of view of one of Averey's roommates. I hadn't thought about it, but I think it really worked well here and pushed their story forward a bit more.
Kellie: Glad you're excited about Belle Reve. I hope you like what I do with it.
